Here you will see a selection of Irish Lighthouse’s from Counties Dublin & Wicklow. As a small island with the Atlantic Ocean to the West and a busy Shipping Channel to the East between the UK there is a big requirement to have good navigational aid along our coastlines.
The below Lighthouse’s play a vital role in shipping between the UK and Ireland and other countries such as France and even other european countries like the Netherland’s etc… You will see some Lighthouses’s with the same name because they are located in the same location, but only one remains active. As usual I will add the Google Maps location for each one.
This selection only scratches the surface in relation to how many Lighthouses’s we have in Ireland. I hope that when Covid-19 eases that I can travel further to capture more of them.
Thanks for sharing your lighthouse images @user_not_found it is sad that the modern navigation methods using GPS have mostly made lighthouses redundant. For those still needed their often replaced by a modern solar powered flashing light on a pole. Fortunately local communities often take over the care and maintenance and keep this part of history alive. Some of them get converted into overnight accommodation and can be rented to stay.
I’ve visited nearly all lighthouses on the Eastern side of Australia (about 80%) and have visited all but one in my home state.
Like you @user_not_found , I’m a bit of a lighthouse lover and am always attracted to them during my travels. Like @PaulPavlinovich has mentioned, many are updated or replaced by the latest technology and the old restored or converted into historical/museum or accommodation places but still they are of interest. Here on Connect I have written about some of the lighthouses that I have recently visited and you may be interested in these: Wilsons Promontory Lightstation and, what often I’ve read is the most photographed lighthouse in the worldPeggy’s Cove!
wow! I love this! As someone living in a place surrounded by water myself, and bordered by the Atlantic ocean, I find this post very relevant. It is the most unique post.
If I may ask; “do you have a special love for lighthouses? or are you a maritime personnnel?”
I am just curious at how you are able cover so many. @user_not_found
Thank you @PaulPavlinovich yes it is sad that most of the Lighthouses are now automated. But thankfully most of them do end up being accomodation or museums. Or in some cases become abandoned or destroyed. I’d say there are some amazing Lighthouse’s in Australia. Feel free to share some of your photos if you have any,
Hi @AdamGT I will check your posts out. There is something about these amazing structures that draws people in. I always think about how lonely it must have been for the keepers or wickies that manned them. Especially the Lighthouse’s in really hairy places.
Hi @Ewaade_3A glad you like my photos. My love for Lighthouse’s come from the film “The Fog”. I find them cosey and would love to live in one. Since I was young I have always enjoyed visiting them and more recently photographing them. There is a great documentary available online called “The Great Lighthouse’s of Ireland” which is worth watching.
Most of these Lighthouses are within 1 hour drive from where I live.
Yes exactly @user_not_found . As well as loneliness, I also thin of how they would get supplies to these remote places back in early times. Check this one out! I love the older ones like this wooden one I came across in New Zealand
I’ve stayed at plenty of others but these three spring to mind. I’ve even been able to sleep on the lighthouse floor at a couple in New South Wales that I won’t name or it won’t be allowed next time :).
I think one of the most fascinating is also one of the most plain which is Boyd’s Tower https://goo.gl/maps/EgZz1g2vVcsYC3MM9 - this one is fairly unique as the light keeper had to cart firewood to the top and keep a fire burning at night time.
I think by far (and as a Melbournite it pains me to say this) but the most photogenic lighthouse during the day in Australia is Hornby Lighthouse https://goo.gl/maps/J7LUL4AP7vtsEQmZ9 unfortunately its no longer operational and the Fresnel lens is gone meaning no beam shots over the ocean spray at night.
For night time beam photography my favourite is Cape Nelson near Portland. You need to be there on a clear night with some sea spray which means winter time and it means being outside at 2am when its bloody freezing to get great darkness and stars in the background. Cape Nelson is unusual because not only is it still in service it is still a multi-beam Fresnel light which is simply stunning to watch.
Yes you can walk into the base of it @user_not_found you cannot climb up inside though unfortunately to the top. The platforms going up are still there but there is no way to get to the first one unless you’re Spiderman :).
And you are lucky that you saw all this beauty with your own eyes!
